November 29, 2018 – URGENT ACTION

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Urgent Action November 29, 2018

Please call the US State Department: Tell them you are calling because of the situation in Honduras and you strongly object to the US continuing support for the corrupt and violent regime of Juan Orlando Hernandez; that you want the US to support amnesty for the political prisoners in Honduras and to end all support for Juan Orlando Hernandez now.

HSN Statement for Reference: Free all the Political Prisoners Now! Who Are the Real Criminals?

In the crisis unleashed by the November 2017 electoral fraud and repression more than 1000 people were detained related to the nation-wide protests. Through 2018 to date 34 people were imprisoned pre-trial, including maximum security prisons. Some were released after months of pressure and this week another 10 were freed. Right now according to Honduran human rights organization COFADEH still being held are: EDWIN ESPINAL, RAÚL ÁLVAREZ, GUSTAVO CÁCERES, DENIS GALEAS MUNGUÍA & EDY VALLE, and student leader Eduardo Urbina remains in exile in Costa Rica.The Honduras Solidarity Network is working in solidarity with the Honduran National Committee to Free the Political Prisoners, and the Honduran human rights and social movement organizations to demand that all the prisoners be freed and receive amnesty now!

WHO ARE THE REAL CRIMINALS? While political prisoners are held in maximum security prisons, the perpetrators of massive violence, the assassins of activists, those who plunder the public health and education systems and drive organized crime for the most part remain free —- especially those who give the orders and protect the material authors of the crimes. The depths of this corruption and crimes that have driven so many Hondurans to flee the country can be seen through the few arrests that have been made. On November 23, 2018, Antonio “Tony” Hernandez, the brother of Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH), defacto president, was arrested at the airport in Miami – indicted for running a big cocaine production and smuggling enterprise for some years. Juan Orlando’s sister who is said to have died in a helicopter accident during the election period of 2017 was also known to be involved in drug trafficking. Members of the previous defacto president, Pepe Lobo’s family have also been arrested for narcotics trafficking and his wife is charged with a corruption scheme.However, while the US is active in prosecuting these cases it doesn’t speak to theimpunity offered by the Honduran judicial system and even more importantly it continues to support JOH and his illegitimate regime and refuses to support new elections or any return to a path of democracy in Honduras. We demand that theUS government to stop all support for Hernandez – stop funding repression, corruption and dictatorship!